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Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level Life expectancy in rich countries is no longer related to National Income per head

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Richest Poorest Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level Life expectancy is strongly related to income within rich countries

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Income gaps How many times richer are the richest fifth than the poorest fifth? Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level Inequality... How much richer are the richest 20% in each country than the poorest 20%?

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Daly M, Wilson M, Vasdev S. Income inequality and homicide rates in Canada and the United States. Can J Crim 2001; 43: Homicide rates are higher in more unequal US states and Canadian provinces USA states Canadian provinces

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Income differences increase social class differentiation Bigger income differences make:- Class more important The social pyramid higher and more hierarchical The quality of social relations deteriorates

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More inequality More superiority and inferiority More status competition and consumerism More status insecurity More worry about how we are seen and judged More “social evaluation anxiety” (threats to self-esteem & social status, fear of negative judgements Valued or Devalued?

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Social Status and Friendship Two sides of the same coin: Social status (dominance hierarchies, pecking orders) are orderings based on power, coercion and privileged access to resources – regardless of the needs of others. Friendship, in contrast, is based on reciprocity, mutuality, social obligations, sharing and a recognition of each other’s needs.

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What can be done? Taxes & benefits Stop tax avoidance End tax havens Make taxation progressive again Income differences before tax Increase company democracy - employee ownership etc Promote more directors from within companies Sustainability needs greater equality

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Islington Fairness Commission Commissioners included 9 Councillors (all parties), Council CEO, Chief Execs of Islington NHS, local Chamber of Commerce and Trades Council, Police chief, 3 academics, 2 from charitable sector. (MPs attended as observers). Ran for one year Seven themed public meetings around the borough (500+ attendees) Testimony from residents and experts Written submissions from the public (100+) Satellite activities: problem solving team; door-knocking on estates; presentations to community groups Interim Report in February 2011 Final Report – Closing the Gap – in June recommendations

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Implementation Living Wage Pay differentials Debt Jobs for young people Islington Reads Good Neighbours Public space Antisocial behaviour Housing supply For more information see Closing the Gap. Final Report of the Islington Fairness Commission

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38 Equality and Sustainability Reducing carbon emissions does not mean reducing the real quality of life Great inequality intensifies consumerism People in more equal societies are more public spirited, better able to act for the common good

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Photo by kind permission of Matt Stuart

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41 For more information: … a book and a website…

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Bigger income differences intensify the idea that some people are worth much more than others We come to judge each other more by status More stressful social comparisons and insecurity about personal ‘worth’. The ‘self-conscious emotions’ become more problematic Some tough it out: narcissism, hubris, anti-social personality disorder? Others succumb to the intensified ‘social evaluative threat’: low self-esteem, fears of inadequacy, social anxiety, depression, social phobia?

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Well-being and long-term illness related to feeling shamed Data from Swedish Liv & Halsa survey Starrin B, Wettergren A. Shame and humiliation in narrative social life. (forthcoming). Number of ways people felt shamed in last 3 months

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52 Gilligan J. Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and its Causes. (G.P. Putnam 1996) "...the prison inmates I work with have told me repeatedly, when I asked them why they had assaulted someone, that it was because 'he disrespected me', or 'he disrespected my visit' (meaning 'visitor'). The word 'disrespect' is central in the vocabulary, moral value system, and psychodynamics of these chronically violent men that they have abbreviated it into the slang term, 'he dis'ed me." p.106 A few pages further on Gilligan continues:- "I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed and humiliated, disrespected and ridiculed, and that did not represent the attempt to prevent or undo this "loss of face " - no matter how severe the punishment, even if it includes death." p.110